Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



J. N ARONSON.

Breech-Loading Fire-Arm. No. 59,540. Patented Nov. 13, 1866.

Nflmms ms UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOSEPH N. ARONSON, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,540, dated November 13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH N. ARONSON, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms 5 and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference bemg had to the accompanying drawings, of which-- Figure l is atop view of my invention 5 Fig. 2, a side elevation Fig. 3, a longitudinal section and Fig. 4., a transverse section through the sliding breech.

The nature of my invention consists in placing between the nipple and the rear end of the barrel of a fire-arm, or in'said rear end, a sliding block or breech having a circular aperture corresponding in size to the bore of the gun for reception of the charge, said block or breech being raised above the range of the barrel when it is desired to insert the charge 1n the same, and drawn down to its former position until the bore of the breech is in range with the bore of the gun, and the firearm ready for discharge of its load, by means of a lever attached to the sliding breech and to the under side of the gun-stock; and thus I produce a breech-loading fire-arm of simple and safe construction, which can be loaded and discharged with ease and rapidity.

In the drawings, A represents the stock, B the lock, and G the barrel, of a fire-arm. E is the sliding block or breech; F, the bore of the breech, which corresponds in size with the bore F of the barrel 0, and in which the cartridge Gr is inserted when the block is raised above the range of the barrel for reception of said cartridge, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

H is a bifurcated cartridgecase discharger, which partially encircles the cartridge -case above its bottom or flange, and, being attached to the sliding block E, will, after the discharge of the gun, and when the breech is raised for reception of the next load, spring backward, discharging at the same time the,

cartridge shell or case from the bore F of the sliding breech E. I is the lever which operates the sliding breech, attached to the stock A at its fulcrum K, and to the sliding breech by a toggle-joint at L. This lever forms the guard for the trigger, and has at its rear end a loop, M, for reception of the operators fingers, and may be caught and held at said end by a spring catch attached to the stock A when the gun is not in use 5 and N is the nipple of the gun, which contains a firing pin or needle, 0, and is kept from contact with the cartridge by means of a rigid spring, P, until struck by the hammer R of the look, when the firing-pin will enter the fulminate-priming, explode the cartridge, and return to its former position.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Suppose the lever I caught up or lyin g against the stock A, the sliding breech E down in place or in range with the barrel (J, the hammer of the lock on the firing-pin, and it is desired to prepare the fire-arm for loading, I merely place my fingers in the loop on the rear end of the lever and draw the lever from the stock, when this movement of the lever will raise the sliding block to a sufiicient height for reception of the cartridge, which I insert in the sliding breech, and next press the lever against the stock, this latter movement of the lever bringing the bore of the breech (now containing the charge) down in range with the bore of the gun. I now raise the hammer to full-cock and pull the trigger, when the hammer will be brought down on the firing-pin, driving the firing-pin through the fulminate-priming of the eartridge and discharging the gun,the said firin gpin, after performing its part, being drawn away from the cartridge-shell and breech to its former position by means of the rigid spring which encompasses it, while on preparin g to reload, as the breech is again raised, the bifurcated cartridge-shell extractor will spring backward and remove the said shell from the bore of the breech.

I would remark that my invention can be applied with profit and at asmall cost to readymade muzzle-loading guns, thus rendering them a convenient and effective fire-arm, while new guns made in accordance with my invention will be found equal in execution to the best fire arm, and can be manufactured as ner substantially as and for the purposes decheap, or nearly so, as any in the market. scribed and set forth.

Having described my invention, What I In testimony whereof I have hereunto set claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patmy signature.

out, is J. N. ARONSON.

The sliding breech E, in combination with Witnesses: the firing pin or needle 0, the cartridge-shell A. NEILL, discharger H, and lever I, operating in mau- JAS. J. LYNG. 

